[Two months and three weeks is too long without her. That's what Chuck has come to realize. He needs her in ways that he'd never admit, he misses her smile and her laugh and all the stupid shit she says, misses how it seems like there's no energy around the house now. That when it's just him and Percy and he can barely stand to look at the kid, it's too much and not enough at the same time.
For the first time, Chuck finds himself in his father's shoes and finds that he hates it here, that it's a horrible place to be and his situation isn't even as bad as Herc's was. Where Raleigh is still alive, there's still a chance for her, and his son isn't old enough to blame him for what happened, to really know what's going on except that Mommy isn't around to tuck him in and he cries and cries and cries and Chuck can't do anything but join him.
Herc comes to help out, doesn't even let Chuck finish explaining what happened before he's interrupting to say that he'll be on the first flight out of Sydney. It's still not perfect with them, they still don't like they should but something's changed. And Herc is good with Percy in all the ways that Chuck can't be right now.
It's the middle of the fucking night when he gets the call but it wasn't really like Chuck was sleeping anyway. He breaks every single traffic law possible getting from the house to the hospital, and he doesn't bring her jello because what the fuck, what does that even mean? Whose first word in nearly three months is jello, Raleigh, you're so ridiculous.
She can yell at him all she wants, so long as she's really awake, and Chuck barks at people to move the fuck out of his way and yes-- yes, fuck, she is awake. Those are her beautiful blue eyes looking back at him from his spot in the doorway and he's not crying again, he's not but he does sort of regret not bringing Percy with him right now.
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For the first time, Chuck finds himself in his father's shoes and finds that he hates it here, that it's a horrible place to be and his situation isn't even as bad as Herc's was. Where Raleigh is still alive, there's still a chance for her, and his son isn't old enough to blame him for what happened, to really know what's going on except that Mommy isn't around to tuck him in and he cries and cries and cries and Chuck can't do anything but join him.
Herc comes to help out, doesn't even let Chuck finish explaining what happened before he's interrupting to say that he'll be on the first flight out of Sydney. It's still not perfect with them, they still don't like they should but something's changed. And Herc is good with Percy in all the ways that Chuck can't be right now.
It's the middle of the fucking night when he gets the call but it wasn't really like Chuck was sleeping anyway. He breaks every single traffic law possible getting from the house to the hospital, and he doesn't bring her jello because what the fuck, what does that even mean? Whose first word in nearly three months is jello, Raleigh, you're so ridiculous.
She can yell at him all she wants, so long as she's really awake, and Chuck barks at people to move the fuck out of his way and yes-- yes, fuck, she is awake. Those are her beautiful blue eyes looking back at him from his spot in the doorway and he's not crying again, he's not but he does sort of regret not bringing Percy with him right now.
He'll call Herc and make him come in.]
Shit, Raleigh, don't you-- ever do this again.